Science festivals are seen as a success story for public engagement with science, with numbers rapidly growing. However, research has shown that attendees at such events tend to be more affluent, better-educated and more interested in science than populations at large. This has led to calls for research into how festivals can widen participation…

This study is about the effect of the Our World exhibit at a science center on student visitors. It elicits students' views about the exhibits, zones, and activities, along with their level of interest and experiences. Data from students (n = 346) through a survey, field notes, observations and interviews (n = 18) were collected. The findings…

This paper describes an interactive museum exhibit featuring an avatar of Alan Turing that informs museum visitors about artificial intelligence and Turing's seminal Turing Test for machine intelligence. The objective of the exhibit is to engage and motivate visiting children in the hope of sparking an interest in them about computer science and…

In 2006, the Scottish Executive's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (SEETLLD) asked HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to carry out a review of the four Scottish science centres--Glasgow Science Centre (GSC), Our Dynamic Earth (ODE) in Edinburgh, Satrosphere Science Centre in Aberdeen, and Sensation Science Centre in Dundee.…

Explores programs at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Focuses on the museum's preschool program and the hands-on science facility. (DDR)

This book presents a variety of activities that enable students to learn how to identify mammals and their unique characteristics. Designed to be used in conjunction with a tour of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, the activities in the book are organized around the exhibits. Some activities are appropriate for use before the tour…

Presented is a discussion on how an evaluator can function effectively in a Science and Technology Center, using an evaluation model on experience in evaluating exhibits at the Lawrence Hall of Science over a six-year period. The approach in this paper is described for four areas: (1) evaluation of currently available exhibits and programs; (2)…

Presented is the argument that museums currently have a greater need for formative than for summative evaluation. Areas of formative evaluation that are of primary concern are also discussed. (Author/SA)

This guide is designed for educators planning trips to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The first part provides tips on organizing a school visit and information on the aquarium lobby and exhibits. These exhibits are: (1) Maryland: Mountains to the Sea; (2) Surviving through Adaptation; (3) North Atlantic to the Pacific; (4) South American Rain…

Discusses a recent addition to the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) known as "Everyday Chemistry." This permanent exhibit on modern chemistry incorporates demonstrations of chemical reactions in ways intended to enhance public understanding. Describes the six cases in the exhibit and the automated aspects of their demonstrations.…

Nearly 100 teachers worked with staff members at the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco, California, to create scaled-down versions of Exploratorium exhibits that teachers could make on their own using common, inexpensive, readily-available materials. The experiments--called "snacks"--are divided into easy-to-follow sections that…

Discusses San Francisco's Exploratorium, a science teaching center with 500 exhibits focusing on human perception, but extending to everything from the mechanics of voice to the art of illusion, from holograms to harmonics. The Exploratorium emphasizes "simple science" (refractions/resonances, sounds/shadows) to tune in the senses and turn on the…

Interactive science and technology centers are described that emphasize "hands-on" science. Examined are the outreach programs offered by many centers which include traveling exhibitions and published resource materials. Examples of follow-up activities to a center visit are included. (KR)

Examined is the contribution that hands-on, interactive centers can make to science education. The characteristics of informal and formal learning are compared and discussed. (KR)

Advocated is the use of interactive centers to supplement existing classroom laboratory experiences. Activities found in the center and modified classroom versions are described. The problems that arise when primary students meet sophisticated exhibits is discussed. (KR)